Electric switch



R. J. PARSONS. I

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED IuNE IQ, 19H3.

1,349,85 1 Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

Fig. Z. l /2'0 l Inventor: 4 fa Robert, J. Parsons.

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UNITED STATES ROBERT J. PARSONS,

PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH. f

Application filed June 10,

T0 all whom t may Concern Be it known that I, ROBERT J. PARSONS, a citizen of the United States, residing at F ort Wayne, in the county of Allen, State of' Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the followingis a specification.

The present invention relates to electric switches such as are utilized for closing and vopening an electric circuit and particularly to a switch adapted to be operatedby the foot, although of course it may he operated by hand or otherwise.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved switch which is simple and rugged in structure, is comparatively cheap to build, and which closes and opens with a snap action so as to avoid destructive arcing. One particular use to which my switch is well adapted is in connection with automo biles .for'closing and opening a circuit used in connection therewith, the switch being located adjacent the drivers seat where it may be readily operated by the foot.

For a consideration of what I believe to be'novel and my invention, attention is directed to the following description and the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved switch, the casing be ing shown in section; Fig. 2 is a top plan view, the lcover' being removed; Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are detail views illustrating the switch mechanism and its operation; and Figs. 7 and 8 are detail sectional views of certain parts. Y

.Referring to the drawing, v8 indicates a switch casing having a removable top cover plate 9, andan end floor plate 10 provided with a flange 11 4adapted to be fixed to a support 12 bysuitable bolts 13. On the floor plate 10 is a guide sleeve 14 through which extends a `*push rod 15, provided on its outer Vend witha pushrbutton pad 16. The push rod 15 has a sliding Yfit vwith the floor plate where'it passes through it and the pad 16 has afiange 17 which has a sliding fit with the otherend of guide sleeve 14. Y

Onthe inner end of push rod 15 is an abutment 18 havinga pair of projecting lugs 19 which straddle a guide pin20. Surrounding-the push rod 15V is a spring 21 having one end in engagement with floor plate Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

1918. Serial N0. 239,118.

push .rod toward the outward position shown in Figs 1 and 2, such movement being limited by the abutment 18 engaging floor plate 10. Extending crosswise of the switch casing is a. shaft 22 upon which is loosely mounted a sleeve 23 (Fig. 6) which has formed integral therewith a plate provided with a contact carrying member 24, a projecting finger 25 and a spring supporting finger 26. On contact carrying member 24 is mounted a bridging contact strip 27 adapted to engage stationary spring contact fingers 29 which are mounted on an insulating support 30. Loosely mounted on shaft 22 is a second sleeve 31 formed integral with which is an arm 32 having a roller 33 at its end and a projecting arm 34 having a notch 35. Projecting at right angles from arm 34 is a catch releasing rod 36 adapted to engage a lip 37 on a catch 38. Catch Y38 is pivotally mounted on a transverse shaft 39 and has notch 40 adapted to engage over the end of projecting finger 25. Pivotally mounted on shaft 39 is a second catch 41 provided with a ledge 42, adapted to engage the notch 35 on projecting arm 34. Catches 38 and 41 are biased toward the projecting finger 25 and projecting arm 34 respectively by a suitable coiled spring 43, the ends of' which engage finger 25 and arm 34 and the central portion of which engages the bottom wall of the casing 8. Surrounding the shaft 22 and sleeves 23 and 31 are two coiled springs 44 and 45. One end of spring 44 engages catch releasing rod 36 and the other end engages spring supporting finger 26, and one end of spring 45 engages rod 36 and the other end the bottom of casing 8. On abutment 18 is a projection 46 which extends between roller 33 and catch 41 and has a head 47 adapted to engage roller 33 and a nose 48 adapted to engage catch 41.

The two sleeves 23 and 31 are provided with arc shaped projections 49 and 50 (Figs. 6. 7 and 8) which partially surround shaft 22 and which engage each other under cer tain conditions to cause both sleeves 23 and 31 to move together.

Then the switch is open, the various parts are in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The projecting finger 25 is caught under notch 40 in catch 38 and the catch 41 is held back against the tension of spring 43 by nose 48 on projection 46. The projections 49 and 50 on sleeves 23 and 31 are in head 47 of projection 46 engages roller 33y and turns arm 32 and sleeve 31.0n shaft 22. At the same time nose 4S 1s moved away from catch 41 permitting the catch tomovev over against arm 3 4. rChe sleeve 23 and contact carrying member' 24 are prevented from moving due to the fact that projecting linger 25 is caught under notch 40 in catch38. 'As arm32 and sleeve 31 turn the two springs 44 and 45 are put under tension'because catch releasing rod 36 is raising one end of each spring while the other ends are stationary. IN hen the arm 32 reaches the position shown in Fig. 3, catch 41 drops into engagement with notch 35 in arm 34 and holds springs 44 and 45 under tension. During this movement catch releasing rod 36 has moved up adjacent the lip 37 on catch 38, and'projection 5() on sleeve 31 has moved away from projection 49 on sleeve 23 as shown in Fig. 7. The spring 44 may be termed the switch closing spring and the spring 45 may be termed the switch opening spring and it will be noted that both are 4put under compression by this first preliminary movement of the push rod 15V and are held by catch 41. A further movement of pushrod 15 now brings catch releasing ro'd 3 6 into engagement with lipv37 and Amoves Vcatch 3 8 away from projecting finger 25 Y whereupon spring 44 quickly turns sleeve Y23 on shaft 22 and brings contact strip 27 into engagement with contact fingers 29 as shown in ig. 4. At the same time projection 49 on sleeve 23 is moved from the position shown in Fig. 7 into engagement with projection on sleeve 31 as shown in Fig. 8. As long as the push rod 15 is held down the switch will remain closed.

j ection 50 on sleeve 31 is in engagement withl l projection 49 on sleeve 23, sleeve 23 will be turned also to move contact plate 27away Yfrom contact fingers 29. This restores the various switch parts to their normal open positions as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will ofcourse be understood that the switch is operated by a continuous movement ofi. push rod 15 down and up andthat the circuit connected with it Vcan thus be very .quickly closed and opened.

In accordance `with the provisions of the A.patent statutes, I rhave described the principle of operation of my invention, together with theV apparatus which I lnow consider to represent the best embodimentthereof, but

vdiate position releasing one'of said catches Vhen pressure y on push rod 15 is released spring 21 returns I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means. lVhat' I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is: "o 1. In an electric switch, a fixed contact, a

movable contact, spring means for moving the movable contact into and out of engagement with the ,fixed contact, an actuator which whenV moved to an intermediate position puts said spring means under tension, and two catches for holding saidspring means under tension, said actuator when moved in one direction from said intermeto permit said spring means to close the switch and when moved in another direction releasing the other catch to permit said spring means to open-the switch.

2. In an electric switch, a fixed contact, a movable contact adapted to move into engagement with the fixed contact, a contact closing spring, a contact opening spring, an actuator which when "moved to .an intermediate position puts both springs under tension, and means for holding them, under tension, said actuator when moved in one direction from saidintermediate position releasing one of said springs and when moved in the other direction releasing the other of said springs.

3. In an electric switch, a fixed contacta movable contact adapted to move into engagement with the fixed contact, a contact closing spring, a 'contact opening spring, an 100 actuator which when moved to an intermediate position puts both said springs under tension, and means for holding them under tension, said actuator when moved further releasing said contact closing spring 105 and when moved back releasing said contact opening spring.

catch `when said actuator has moved apredetermined distance, and means for releasing the secondnamed catch when said actuator returns to its original position.

5. In an electric switch, the combination of a casing, a contact carrier pivotally mounted therein, a` catch for said carrier, a member .pivotally mounted in the casing and Y provided Ywith a projection adaptedto engagethe contactcarrier and move itY to open Vposition, a contact closingspring havingone end connected tosaid member `andthe a contact opening spring having one end connected to said member and the other end xed, an actuator for turning the member to put both springs under tension, and means for releasing` said contact carrier catch after said member and actuator have moved a predetermined distance.

6. In an electric switch, the combination of a casing, a contact carrier pivotally mounted therein, a catch for said carrier, a member pivotally mounted in the casing and provided with a projection adapted to engage the contact carrier and move it to open position, a contact closing spring having 011e end connected to said member and the other end connected to the Contact carrier, a contact opening spring having one end connected to said member and the other end fixed, an actuator for turning the member to put both springs under tension, means for releasing said contact carrier catch after said member and actuator have moved a predetermined distance, a catch for said member, and means for releasing said catch when said actuator returns to its normal position.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of June, 1918.

ROBERT J. PARSONS. 

